I...hesitated to pick this one up. While I liked the previous book okay I wasn't too sure about what a sequel would really add to the story or if I really wanted to know what happened next. Still, I saw it the other day, right there in a library and decided, "Why not?" So, let's see how it went.
Samantha Mather is still living in Salem after the tense events that occurred between her and the Descendants in the fall. While Sam would like to forget all about what happened and magic altogether, it seems her own gifts won't leave her alone. She keeps getting strange dreams where she's aboard the Titanic itself the day before its fated demise and she's visited by spirits from the ship who seem oblivious to their fates. Sam and the Descendants must figure out what's going on or disaster might strike Salem once again.
Okay, going from something like the Salem Witch Trials to the sinking of the Titanic seems like a bit of a leap at first glance but apparently Mather, the author, has distant relations connected to both events (next book we'll probably hear her ancestors consisted of Jack the Ripper and Nazi Germany or whatever else would sound like a good story). There's also the fact that the Titanic being brought up at all in the story is because there a Titanic themed dance coming up. Okay, I've never been to Salem (I want to though) but I'm pretty sure that they don't have their high school dances and any other significant events ALL centered around historical tragedies (correct me if I'm wrong). The runner up idea for the dance was the Borgias Masquerade Ball. Really? Besides it just feels like a bit of a cheap excuse to bring the Titanic up at all. The Witch Trials are a big part of Salem and it's history so it makes sense to use them as a them for your self-insert's whirlwind adventure. The Titanic has nothing to do with Salem so...yeah...it's a stretch.
I wasn't too crazy about the character of Samantha in the first book but seeing as I'd had the impression that the love triangle would be over and she was no longer being victimized, I thought she might have improved a bit. And she did improve...just not as a character. While she's the same whiner she was from the first book and just as self-centered her simple talent of seeing ghosts has now escalated into godlike abilities where she travels through time, pulls objects out of her dreams, makes historical artifacts appear out of nowhere, has visions of the future and past, and can touch, hear, see and make out with ghosts. I honestly don't think I'm being harsh by saying this is too much! What this girl can do is way too crazy, illogical even by magic standards, and having her your self-insert protagonist just seems vain. The stuff she does transcends magic, logic, the paranormal and the normal-normal! It was too much for me.
The Descendants, the foes turned friends from the first book, have potential to be good additions to the story and, I'll admit, their bond is pretty well showcased in this book. However, their characters are never really allowed to grow and instead are lumped into stereotypes. Alice the Tactless, Susannah the Spineless, and Mary the One Who Eats. It's disappointing. Now, let's talk about the love triangle aspect that I really didn't like the first time around. The readers are given the impression that it is resolved toward the end of the first book so, for that I'm going to put up a spoiler warning so, if you want to skip it, just go down to the Final Verdict.
*SPOILER ALERT* At the end of How to Hang a Witch, Elijah, the ghost boyfriend apparently moves on and disappears, leaving Sam and Jaxon to be free to become a couple. But NOPE! Elijah couldn't move on because of love and Jaxon spends most of the book being jealous and bewitched so he and Sam can never end up together. I already don't really like Elijah as character and I certainly don't like that he's more wish-fulfillment genie than ghost in this story who does all the work so Sam doesn't have to and showers her with praise and sweets. But my biggest problem is that this book is insisting that Sam and Elijah are the OTP of this story. Sure they can touch and talk and kiss and crap but...um...HELLO!? He is no longer alive, his spirit has departed his body, he's kicked the bucket, he's deceased and moved onto another plane, he's spending eternity in a wooden case, he's passed on, he's left this world behind, he is an ex-person! He's dead!!! I'm sorry! I can't let this go. Sam even hints that she'll try to bring him back to life but, have you forgotten, that that was exactly what the villain from the last book was trying to do!? I don't cary if your magical, convenience fairy is the greatest thing in the world. This relationship, no matter how you look at it, is doomed! How can we honestly expect this to be a good thing!? It's not that I like her with Jaxon better, it's just that them being together makes sense because they're both alive! This is starting to really annoy me. *END OF SPOILERS*
Final Verdict
This book wasn't really any better than the first one...but then again I can't say it was worse than the first either. It's just more of the same. Mary Sue characters, illogical magic, convenience fairies ("ghosts")...these books are just not for me. If you liked the first one, you'll probably enjoy this just fine...just check it out at your local library.
Have you read the book? What did you think? Comment below and share your thoughts. Please make sure to Follow Midnight Readings for instant updates. Have a book you'd like me to read or would like to make a recommendation? Contact me on goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/65448711-michelle-beer
Next Time: I think I've got it....Colonel Mustard in the Stairway with Cyanid!
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